Contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) on the phenomenon of breathing to achieve clear knowing

Being ignorant of the dharma under contemplation means falling into the phenomenal realm, taking the phenomenal realm to be true and real; clear knowing is knowing the arising and ceasing of the phenomenal realm and its lack of truth and reality. The contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) in the intermediate stage is very important, and the turning point from ignorance to clarity is very important. To observe the principle behind the phenomenal realm is clear knowing. When the manas has clear knowing, a samādhi of the equal cultivation of Samādhi and Prajñā will certainly appear. This process may take longer, because the foundation from past lives is weaker, so this life involves more hardship. Refer to the method of contemplating the breath by Śuddhipanthaka in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra: Śuddhipanthaka contemplated the breath without ever leaving the tip of his nose, with utmost single-mindedness, and in the end he attained the fourth fruit of arhatship, and moreover also cultivated the four dhyānas.